November 17 terror leaders get life

The leader and the chief assassin of Greece’s November 17 terrorist cell were sentenced to multiple terms of life imprisonment in Athens today for multiple killings since 1975.

An anti-terrorist tribunal sentenced Alexandros Giotopoulos, 59, the leader of the group, to 21 life terms.

It also sentenced Dimitris Koufodinas, 45, the terror group’s main hit man, to 13 life terms.

Four other men that made up the core group of November 17 gunmen received sentences ranging from one to 10 life terms.

The decisions make parole virtually impossible for most of the men. Greece does not have the death penalty.

The three-member court gave the other 13 men lesser sentences as they were found guilty of less serious crimes.

The court then recessed to decide on consolidating some of the lesser sentences for robberies and bomb attacks. If added together, some of those sentences add up to hundreds of years and will probably be reduced to about 25 years for most of the men.

The same court on December 8 convicted the 15 men following a nine-month trial. Four defendants were acquitted because of lack of evidence.

November 17 is blamed for 23 murders and dozens of rockets and bomb attacks since 1975.

The group – which professed a mix of Marxist and nationalist ideologies – was named after the date of a student-led uprising in 1973 which helped topple the 1967-74 military dictatorship.

Although police officials say some November 17 members remain at large, the government claims the group has been wiped out.

Greece’s government has heralded the convictions as evidence of its commitment to fight terrorism ahead of the Aug. 13-29 Olympics.

Their last victim was Brigadier Stephen Saunders who was gunned down on his way to work on a busy Athens road in June, 2000.

Four US officials and two Turkish diplomats were also among the victims.